May 30, 2016

Barna Poll: Americans Concerned as New Moral Code Takes Over

A majority of Americans, of all ages
and all demographics, express concern regarding the moral condition
of the United States, from adults in general (80%) to younger
Millennials
(74%).

"What's right for you" is the hot new morality of self-fulfilment

“As nominally Christian moral norms
are discarded what, if anything, is taking their place? Barna's
research reveals the degree to which Americans pledge allegiance
to the “morality of self-fulfillment,” a new moral code that, as
David Kinnaman, President of Barna argues, has all but replaced
Christianity as the culture’s moral norm.” The highest good,
according to our society, is 'finding yourself' and then living
by 'what’s right for you,'"

The poll, linked here, reveals moral
dissonance and ethical illiteracy among Christians, as well as other sectors.

"So, there appears to be a
dichotomy at work among practicing Christians in America,"
Kinnaman continues. "Most believe that the Bible is the source
of moral norms that transcend a person’s culture, and that those
moral truths are absolute rather than relative to circumstances. Yet,
at the same time, solid majorities ascribe to five of the six tenets
of the new moral code."

There are a number of reasons why moral
relativism can be shown to be illogical, as noted at this link, and also reasons why Christianity, not secular humanism, can be shown
to offer the possibility of an objective basis of morality, as shown in this debate link.

There are three demonstrable reasons why Ayn Rand's “Objectivism”
and its so-called “virtue of selfishness” are untenable, as shown here.

Not just concerning, but frightening.

Moral relativism is a frightening prospect for society because the "bottom" is extremely low for sinking moral standards and basically anything can be proposed as moral in this framework.

The next time someone states, "There are no moral truths that are true for everyone." ask a simple question:

"Under what possible hypothetical circumstances would it be acceptable under moral relativism for a person to torture babies just for fun?"

While it's true that a sado masochist could rationalize this under moral relativism, if there is no objective basis of morality, I believe most sane people would agree that this could never be morally justified. This underscores that moral relativism is not true.

As the new moral code of America takes over, subjective feelings take precedent over all. Morals are based on subjective feelings, then laws are based on subjective feelings. And anyone that wishes to live based on logic, reason and religious convictions is more likely to end up in jail for the most ridiculous reasons, for example, believing that biological men shouldn't try to become women.